Flash-light apparatus.



I. G. MUCOLL. FLASH LIGHT APPARATUS. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 27, 1912.

Patented May 13, 1913.

Attest: @JW

IRVING G. MCGOLL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLASH-LIGHT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1913.

Application led April 27, 1912. Serial No. 693,548.

To all whom z5 may concern:

Be it known that I, IRVING Gr. MCCOLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F lash-Light Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to flash light apparatus, and more particularly to a type thereof wherein powder is ignited by means of a percussion cap.

The main object of the invention is 'to provide a flash light apparatus wherein the firing pin may be readily controlled by the operating handle or trigger to facilitate the adjustment of the percussion cap and wherein said pin will, in firing, be set and released through the same action `in order to insure the proper timing of the ignition of the charge of powder.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of this character wherein the trigger and the firing pin may be positively coupled together in a manner to insure the simultaneous operation thereof under all conditions tothe point of release of the pin, this release being automatically accomplished during, or at the end of, the movement setting the firing pin, thus prevent ing the accidental release of the said pin and the accidental firing of the powder' charge.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of this character wherein the firing pin will be so constructed and arranged as to insure the discharge of the priming cap with each actuation thereof.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of this character having a flash pan of fixed dimensions which is adapted to have detachably mounted therein a supplemental pan so as to adapt the device for use with charges of different sizes. And a still further object is to provide a device of this character which will be simple in design, reliable in use, and inexpensive to produce.

The invention consists primarily in a flash light apparatus embodying therein such novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

teferring to the drawings Figure l is a side elevation of a flash light apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the end of the firing pin.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, a indicates a metallic flash pan having in the bottom thereof an opening a through which a charge in the flash pan is adapted to be ignited by means of a percussion cap. The pan a is mounted upon and adapted to be carried by a hollow standard Z) having therein a longitudinal slot o. The standard b adjacent to the flash pan c has formed therein a recess 0 open at the front and rear thereof as shown in the drawings, which recess is adapted to receive a cap to prime the apparatus. Mounted in the hollow standard is a reciprocatory firing pin l which is adapted to be actuated by the spring Il. Slidably mounted upon the standard b is a sleeve c having a finger hold j' by means of which it may be rcciprocated upon said handle, this sleeve being guided in its reciprocatory movementl by the standard Z), and held against rotative movement upon said handle in any desired manner, asby the spline g.

Mounted upon and movable with the reciprocatory sleeve c is a spring tongue h, this Itongue and the firing pin d being pro vided with cooperating coupling members adapted to be automatically disengaged in a manner which will be hereinafter described. This coupling mechanism preferably consists of a stud d carried by the firing pin (l and projecting through the slot 2) of the standard and an opening 71, in the tongue /t adapted to pass over and engage said stud. The outer end of the tongue h is flared away from the handle b as at so as to cause said tongue, through its engagement with Said stud when coupling the trigger mechanism to the firing pin, to be forced oi'ltwardly and pass over said stud to bring the tongue into the proper relation to said stud and insure the automatic coupling of the trigger mechanism with the firing pin. The tongue /t intermediate the end 71,2 and the sleeve t is raised as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to provide proper clearance between said tongue and the standard b and to form a cam surface z adj acentV to the end of' said tongue.

Carried by the standard 5 is a ca m or projection z adapted to be engaged by the cam surface 71.3 of the tongue 71, when the spring el has been tensioned to the desired extent, and to automatically diseng'age said tongue from t-he stud d2.

To insure reliability in the operation of the firing pin, I form a recess in the end of said pin in a manner to produce a continuous circular impact surface thereon entirely encircling the opening a in the flash pan a, thus having a continuous rini fire which is bound to engage every portion of the percussion cap about said opening a and thus preclude a misliring of the apparatus.

To permit a powder receptacle of greater capacity than'that of the flash pan a to be used `in connection with the firing mechanism described, I provide 'the pan with a plurality of openings a2 which may be utilized to wire, or otherwise sec-ure, a powder receptacle such las a-3 having greater capacity than the pan afin position relative to said pan, the receptacle a3 being detachably secured in position relative to the pan a.. n Vhen it is desired to use the apparatus, thestandard Z) is held in the hand of the photographer' or his assistant with the forefinger in the finger hold f of the trigger mechanism; and the sleeve c is forced upwardly until the outwardly flared end f1.2 of the tongue 71. engages and is forced outwardly of the stud cl2 to a point where the said tongue is tensioned and caused to spring toward the standard ZJ when the opening h2 is over said stud, thus causing said tongue to automatically engage said st-ud. The sleeve e is then drawn slightly downwardly, carrying with it the firing pin d thus expos ing the recess c in a manner to permit the percussion cap to be placed therein between the pin and the pan a, and below the opening a in the latter without placing the spring cl under substantial tension. The liring pin may then be permitted to moveupwardly under the spring d leaving the trigger mechanism set, the velocity developed by said spring being insufficient to detonate the cap. 'When it is desired to lire the charge, it is merely necessary to draw the sleeve e downwardly by a continuous movement, the tongue h when reciprocated, drawing the firing pin CZ downwardly with t-he sleeve, thus tensioning the spring CZ. As the cam surface 7b3 approaches the cam or abutment z', upon the standard b, the spring CZ will be tensioned to a degree to secure the desired velocity of the return movement of the firing pin thereunder, so that when with the continued movement of said sleeve, the disengagement of the tongue ii with the pin g2 is effected through the lelevation of the tongue /L` by said cam or abutment, said firing pin will be automatically projected with the desired force against the cap to detonate same and thus ignite the charge of flash powder within the pan a.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A flash light apparatus embodying therein a flash pan, a handle therefor, said flash pan having an opening therethrough anda recess being formed between said handle and said pan adjacent to said opening and opening outwardly below said pan, a spring actuated liring pin mounted within said handle and adapted to be forced into engagement with a cap contained in said recess, and a trigger mechanism comprising a member slidably mounted upon said handle, coperating coupling members carried by said firing pin and'said member respectively, and means operating to disengage said coupling members at a predetermined point in the movement of said slidable member, whereby said firing pin will be set and released by the continued movement of said slidable member.

2. A flash light apparatus embodying therein a flash pan, a handle therefor, said flash pan having an opening therethrough and a recess being formed between said handle and said pan adjacent to said opening, a spring actuated firing pin mounted `Within said handle and adapted to be forced into engagement with a cap contained in said recess, a stud carried by said pin and movable in a slot in said handle, a trigger mechanism comprising a slidable member mounted upon said handle, and a spring tongue carried thereby and adapted to engage said stud, and a cam carried by said handle and adapted to act upon said tongue at a predetermined point in its movement to release said liring pin.

3. A iiash light apparatus. embodying therein a liash pan, a handle thereor,-said flash pan having an opening therethrough and a recess being formed between said handle and said pan adjacent to said opening, a sprino actuated firing pin mounted within said handle and adapted to be i'orcedinto engagement with a cap contained in said recess, a stud carried by said pin and movtongue carried thereby and adapted to engage said stud, a cam carried by said handle and adapted to act upon said tongue at a predetermined point in its movement to release said firing pin, and means holding said member against rotation upon said handle.

4. A flash light apparatus embodying therein a flash pan, a handle therefor, said flash pan having an opening therethrough and a recess being formed between said handle and said pan adjacent to said opening, a spring actuated firing pin mounted within said handle and adapted to be forced into engagement with a cap contained in said recess, a stud carried by said pin and movable in a slot in said handle, a trigger mechanism comprising a slidable member mounted upon said handle, and a spring tongue carried thereby and adapted to engage said stud, and a cam carried by said handle and adapted to act upon said tongue at a predetermined point in its movement to release said firing pin, the free end of said tongue being flared outwardly away from said handle, and said tongue intermediate said flared end being spaced away from said handle, whereby op ositely pitched cam surfaces are provided adapted to coperate respectively with said stud and with said cam to insure the automatic engagement of saiccli spring with, and release from, said stu 5. A flash light apparatus embodying therein a flash pan, a handle therefor, said flash pan having an opening therethrough and a recess being formed between said handle and said pan adjacent to said opening, a spring actuated firing pin having the impact end thereof recessed to form a continuous firing rim, mounted within said handie and adapted to be forced into engagement with a cap contained in said recess, and a trigger mechanism comprising a member slidably mounted upon said handle, cooperating coupling members carried by said firing pin and said member respectively, and means operating to disengage said coupling members at a predetermined point in the movement of said slidable member, whereby said firing pin will be set and released by the continued movement of said slidable member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 19th day of April, 1912.

IRVING G. MCCOLL.

Witnesses:

F. T. WENTWORTH, EUGENE WENING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentl, Washington, D. C. 

